{"id":9656,"date":"2011-08-24T11:16:34","date_gmt":"2011-08-24T16:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crankymouse.com\/?p=9656"},"modified":"2011-09-13T13:58:35","modified_gmt":"2011-09-13T18:58:35","slug":"eat-well-spend-less-the-art-of-back-to-school-lunches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/2011\/08\/24\/eat-well-spend-less-the-art-of-back-to-school-lunches\/","title":{"rendered":"Eat Well, Spend Less: The Art of Back-to-School Lunches"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month’s Eat Well, Spend Less<\/a> topic is all about back-to-school, from breakfast to creative lunch ideas to easy snacks to last-minute dinners. We’re breaking down the process of how to feed those school-bound mouths.<\/em>
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\nIn exactly 13 days, I will be getting ready to pack the first school lunches of the year. This year, Lene is joining the ranks of school-bound kids, which leaves me with three lunches that need packing five times a week. While this can be a bit overwhelming, I instead look at it as an exciting challenge, a chance to prove I can provide for those children I birthed, a stepping stone towards\u2026Let’s get real.
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\nPacking lunches is not one of my favored activities. In fact, I kind of dread the whole process. There’s a lot to consider, especially when you’re trying to pack healthy lunches that will be consumed by three wholly different and unique children.
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What’s more, there is lunch bag envy. Lunch bag envy is what happens when your child glances at their neighbor’s lunch that includes cookies and juice and all the things that make it seem cooler than their sad sack of carrots and cheese cubes. To a 6-year-old, even the pile of gray chicken nuggets can be more attractive than whatever it is mom put in the Star Wars lunch bag.
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And so it is. Three children, three different sets of likes and dislikes, one mom on a mission to provide a healthy lunch that each will eat and enjoy all while spending a minimal amount with the least amount of waste.<\/p>\n

Reusable Containers<\/font><\/h2>\n

Let’s start at the beginning. What to pack a lunch in? Sure, you could go the brown paper sack and sandwich baggie route. I remember unpacking several sandwiches at the lunch table out of just this setup.
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Rather than constantly be spending money purchasing plastic bags, however, I’d recommend a few good reusable bags and containers to send to school with your kids. Despite spending more up front, you’ll be saving in the long run, and thermal containers can increase the variety you’re able to pack. A few of my favorites:<\/p>\n